The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

European food specialist, Ovio, made the drastic decision to give the Cordon Bleu and the burgers a break for Ramadan, and introduced a new Turkish set menu. The set menu is 250LE if you’re ordering the Mixed Grill or 290LE if you’re going with the salmon.

Before we talk about food, we have to mention the supersonic speed and terrific service at the Galleria40 branch. Even though we came just 10 minutes before fetar and without a reservation, the food was served right on time. After breaking our fast with a hibiscus drink that was too sour and tangy for our taste, we went straight to soup, of which there were two of; the Mercimek Corbasi was potato and carrot-infused lentils soup that had a great, thick consistency and we loved the crispy bread strips on the side. The second was Sehriye Corbasi (vermicelli soup) that was bursting with zesty tomato flavours which worked well with the minced beef in it.

While having the soup, the waiter showered the table with a spread of appetisers that consisted of three cold mezzah, two hot mezzah and a salad. The trio of cold mezzah wer, Kozlenmis Patlican, a slightly mashed eggplant dish that was very light, Antep Ezme which was spicy diced tomato mixed with harisa paste, garlic, and pomegranate molasses, and we teamed it up with the third mezzah, the Haydral or Labneh mixed with black sesame seeds and dried mint. What really stole the show was the soft, puffy and freshly baked bread on the side.

Meanwhile, the hot mezzah were the stars of the meal. Starting with the Lahmacun, it came in form of a flawless fresh flatbread topped with a mixture of minced beef, green pepper, onion and parsley, all bursting with tomato and garlicky flavours, with the addition of chilli powder adding a perfect spicy kick.

The Vezir Boregl, meanwhile, was something akin to crispy spring rolls filled with a generous amount of cheese, pastrami, thyme and rosemary. It’s a simple appetiser, but one that’s rich in flavours.

Up until that point, everything was great, but then the Sultan Salat came. The salad was a mixture of tomato, cucumber, romaine lettuce, coloured peppers and crispy bread with a side of tahini dressing. The vegetables were fresh and all, but it was tasteless on its own and the tahini sauce was too thick and strong to be a salad dressing.

Moving to the mains, the roasted salmon was served with sautéed vegetables and roasted potatoes. Sadly, the veggies were very bland and undercooked, and the roasted potatoes were actually seasoned well but two pieces were also unevenly cooked. As for the salmon itself, it was flaky, tender and well seasoned and the squeeze of lemon completed it; but there was nothing remarkable about the dish as a whole.

The Karisik Kebab (Mixed Grill) also had its ups and downs. The grilled chicken and the beef kofta were bursting with remarkable spices and flavours, but was a bit dry, especially the grilled chicken. The side of Oriental rice, meanwhile, was a bit too sticky, but we liked the hint of cinnamon in it. On the other hand, the chicken kofta was also seasoned to perfection, but unlike the chicken and kofta, it was actually very juicy and we loved the addition pistachios in it.

We couldn’t think of a better way to end than with Baklava with Ice Cream. The triangular-shaped baklava had a perfect amount of simple syrup, the phyllo dough was crispy and flaky, and we loved the generous amount of pistachios in it which worked perfectly with the stretchy mistika ice cream.

All in all, we had a great time at Ovio. We were super impressed by the service and the staff, and overall, the food was good – but maybe not 726LE good.